Eagles lifted by Dunn’s nine

Aug. 12, 2014, 4 a.m.

NARRABRI Eagles might have re-ignited their Essential Energy Tamworth AFL season with Saturday’s 39-point win over Gunnedah Bulldogs, as Inverell Saints handed New England Nomads their first loss of the season and the Tamworth Roos made a “clean swoop” of the Tamworth Swans.

NARRABRI Eagles might have re-ignited their Essential Energy Tamworth AFL season with Saturday’s 39-point win over Gunnedah Bulldogs, as Inverell Saints handed New England Nomads their first loss of the season and the Tamworth Roos made a “clean swoop” of the Tamworth Swans.

Todd Dunn’s arrival in Narrabri has helped re-energise and reform the Eagles this season.

Some great results early on had the Eagles looking at a top three spot before a string of defeats left it anchored in fourth spot on the TAFL table.

On Saturday the Eagles grabbed their first win in a month when spearheaded by Dunn’s nine goals to a 22.5 137 to 14.14 98 victory over the

Bulldogs.

While Dunn was outstanding Giulio Hiemoana, Mark Barrow, Daniel Hughes, Michael McConnell and Connor Richardson all had big games for the Eagles.

Andrew George has been one of the Bulldogs best and he kicked six goals for the John Woolaston-coached side.

Ryan Cooper, Keith Lee, Cameron Milne, Troy Sands and Luke Curgenven also starred for the Bulldogs with cricketers Milne and Sands also bagging three goals apiece.

Teenage Swan forward Thomas Byrnes continued his good season, kicking five goals for the Swans as they flew to a half time lead in the third of their Billy Holder Cup games at No. 1 Oval on Saturday.

But the Swans were overrun in the second half as the Roos swooped for a clean sweep in all three games this season.

The Roos shared the goals around too with stalwart Dan Overeem and Nicholas Frawley kicking three apiece and Ryan Painter and Rhett Graham two apiece.

Overeem and Graham were two of the Roos best along with Matt Hughes, Ian Leys, Luke Robinson and big Matt Hopson. While Byrnes booted five for the Swans club, vet Gavin Knee also kicked two with Lachlan Rowling, Chris Wilson, Josh McRae, Shane Kilby and Steve Fairless among their best.

Up in Inverell the Saints celebrated their first win over the Nomads since 2012 when they kicked 13.8 86 to the Nomads’ 11.17 83.

Luke Selig was the Saints man of the match with another outstanding effort in the middle of the park.

He also booted three goals while Lachlan McDonald also kicked four in an energetic effort up front.

Whitby, Mark Spencer, Tom Hunt, Jon Freund, Mathew Foley and Charles Bender were the Nomads best. They head to Gunnedah this Saturday to play the Bulldogs, while the Saints travel to Tamworth to tackle the resurgent Roos with the Swans off to Narrabri to take on the Eagles in a battle of the birds.